Distance & Devotion
by Anggiemon
Summary: Sequel to Affections & Obstacles. Ally is in New York attending Juilliard and living her dream. Austin is rocking his heart out on a North American tour. Now that they are a couple, will the distance between them tear them apart or will it make their relationship stronger?
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! After contemplating for a while I've decided to actually do the sequel to Affections & Obstacles! Yay! I had an outline for this done while I was still working on A&O but I didn't know how to actually start it. Once A&O ended and some of you said you'd read a sequel I decided to do it. This took a while because I was doing some research on Juilliard. I wanted to make it as realistic as possible. Although some of the things about Juilliard here may not be a hundred percent correct. I did my best though... Anyways, here it is the sequel to Affections & Obstacles, Distance & Devotion! Woo!**

**Disclaimer****: I do not own Austin & Ally.**

* * *

Ally arrived at JFK at around noon, she felt so out of place, New York was completely different than Miami. It was crowded and busy, there were people buzzing around. Ally had only been to New York a couple of times before during Austin's tours. But right now, in the midst of all the people, she was alone. No Trish, no Dez and no Austin, just herself in the Big Apple. She still had a hard time accepting the fact that her friends aren't with her to face a new beginning in her life. Sure they would be supporting her from Miami, but it will never be the same. Being around all the strangers and the unfamiliarity of New York, Ally felt like crying again. She wanted to jump back on a plane heading back to Miami; she wanted to feel safe, with her friends. Then she thought of Austin and what he would think if he saw her like this, on the verge of tears. She missed him so much and it's only been a few hours since they last saw each other. Ally laughed at herself, she felt so pathetic, so cowardly and so weak. Austin was always her source of confidence, and now that he's not here with her, she had to give herself the confidence she needed. She rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath. She thought about Austin, Trish and Dez and how they'd want her to be happy, she thought about all the wonderful memories she had with her best friends, she thought about the song Austin sang for her when he told her that he loved her. Her friends are back in Miami waiting for her to come back with a music degree, she couldn't let them down. There was a hint of confidence in Ally's eyes; the thought of her friends back in Miami calmed her heart. Ally slung her backpack behind her back and dragged her carry on as she grabbed a taxi.

On the ride to campus, Ally looked out the window and was amazed at the beauty that is New York. The taxi's radio played Frank Sinatra's 'New York, New York', how appropriate. Somehow the city looked a lot bigger than the last time she was there. The buildings were taller and the streets were busier. Ally smiled for the first time since she left Miami, confidence burning in her eyes. She fiddled with the ring on her finger, the promise ring that Austin gave her before she left. His words still repeating in her mind: "To love you forever, no matter how far apart we are. To give you the best hugs and kisses you'll ever get. To talk to you, no matter what time, whenever you're lonely. And to always be your best friend, no matter what." Ally smiled at the memory. _'I'll make you proud Austin, I promise.'_ She said in her head.

After the relatively long ride, Ally finally arrived at Juilliard. It was everything she'd thought it would be. There were students sitting under the trees, playing their instruments. She saw music halls and other interesting buildings. There was music everywhere; it was like a much larger version of Sonic Boom. Her luggage had already been sent to her dorm room, all she had to do was find it. Upon entering the building, Ally was greeted by an upperclassman, only a few years older than her.

"Hi, you must be Ally Dawson; it's a pleasure to meet you." The upperclassman offered her hand. "My name is Natalie White and I'm a junior."

Ally shook Natalie's hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Let me show you to your room." Natalie helped Ally with her carry on and headed for Ally's dorm room.

It was a simple room, no bigger than the practice room back at Sonic Boom. It had a single bed and a small bathroom. There was a desk for her to study and also a keyboard for her to play. The view was beautiful, it over looked the Lincoln Center. She could see all the new students piling into the building.

"It's small but cozy. If you need anything, I live at the end of the hall. Well, I've got other freshmen to attend to, it was a pleasure meeting you Ally."

Ally smiled. "You too."

Natalie left the room and Ally immediately jumped onto the bed and sighed. This was it, the beginning of her new life, alone. She looked at the ring on her hand, smiled, and reached into her pocket and took out her phone. Ally scrolled through the contacts and called Austin. It ringed two times before Austin picked up.

"Ally! How was your flight? I miss you already!" Austin was clearly excited that Ally had called him.

Ally giggled at how cute Austin was being. "Hi Austin, I miss you too, the flight was okay I guess. I never liked airplanes, I get so air sick."

"Well, I'm glad that you made it safely. How's New York? How's Juilliard?

Ally explained to Austin about all the students and instruments she saw. She talked about the buildings and her dorm room. Before Austin could respond, Ally heard Trish's screaming from the phone. "Austin! Is that Ally?! Why didn't you tell me she called?! Let me talk to her! Give me the phone Austin! HI ALLY!"

Ally burst into laughter as she heard Austin and Trish fight over the phone. "Hi Trish, I miss you. How are you guys doing?"

"We're missing you like crazy!" Trish managed to pry the phone out of Austin's hand. "When are you coming back to Miami to visit us?"

"I just got here Trish." Ally giggled, she was glad to hear her friend's voices again. "When does the tour start?"

"In two weeks, we—"

"AAAALLLLLYYYY!" This time Dez was heard screaming and running to the phone.

Ally's sad mood was definitely lifted by the cheerfulness of her friends. "Hey Dez, what's up?"

"I totally got a new idea for a movie, are you coming back anytime soon? I need you!"

"Aw, sorry Dez, I think I'll have to pass." Ally tried to hide her sadness. Sure it was great that she got to talk to her friends, she missed them terribly. But it also reminded her that she won't be able to see them in person for a very long time.

"Guys, she's my girlfriend! LET ME TALK TO HER!" Austin practically jumped on Dez and Trish, trying to get the phone. Ally erupted into laughter again; her friend's energy was just so refreshing. After a few minutes, Austin managed to get the phone from them. He went to the practice room and locked the door behind him for some privacy. "Sorry about that Ally. They just don't understand that I need to hear my amazing girlfriend's beautiful voice."

Ally giggled at Austin's compliment. He would always compliment her like that, even before they were dating. It just shows what kind of relationship Austin and Ally have always had. "So when are you coming over to visit me?" There was a hint of sadness in her voice.

Austin noticed the sadness and frowned. "Not sure yet Ally, but I'll be sure to tell you as soon as I find out."

Ally smiled a little, still feeling a little upset. "Okay…"

"Look Ally, I know you're sad. But don't be, going to music school is your dream and you've got to be happy."

"But I'm all alone." She sniffled.

"No you're not, Trish, Dez and I will always be with you, in your heart. Yes, it sounds incredibly cheesy, but it's true." Austin chuckled. "Besides if you miss me that much, I could always video chat and you can call me anytime. I'll always be here for you."

"Thanks Austin."

They talked for a while, just missing and listening to each other's voices. Even though they just saw each other this morning, they talked like they haven't seen each other in years. Hearing Austin's voice really eased Ally's mind and heart, it was like she was there with him even though she wasn't. But it also added to the sadness she was feeling, she really wished she could go on tour with him, but she had a dream to accomplish. Austin couldn't stop thinking about how much she missed Ally, he felt like taking the next flight to New York and seeing her. He wanted to be with her and hold her tight, but he knew she had to focus on her own career as opposed to his own. It was hard for the both of them, especially since they've only been together as a couple for a few months. They missed each other like crazy.

Time flew as they talked and it was time for Ally to got to the welcome ceremony for the new students. Although she didn't want to, Ally had to say goodbye to Austin. She promised to call him again before going to bed because she didn't know how long the ceremony would go for. She reluctantly hung up and changed into a knee length dress, a cardigan and a scarf. She matched it with some boots and put on some make up, but not too much. Ally checked herself in the mirror, made sure to put her songbook in her bag and exited her room.

It was fall so the air was a little chilly, but not too much. The leaves were brown as some of them slowly fell from the trees. The welcome ceremony was crowded; there were people from all over the place carrying so many different instruments. There were guitars, violins, flutes, there were so many different kinds that Ally lost count. It felt like she was at Sonic Boom again, being surrounded by so many instruments. The thought made her a little sad but she remembered what Austin said and tried to make the best of it. She took a deep breath as she tried to channel her confidence. But after the phone call from her friends, it was a little hard. Ally took a seat next to a young blond girl and looked to the stage. A man in his fifties came to the podium and started talking.

"Welcome new students to the Juilliard School. My name is Bryce Young and I am the head of the music division here. This is going to be a wonderful year and I hope you all learn more about your individual instrument." He continued to talk about the many things that Juilliard had to offer. "And now, to cut the ribbon and release the balloons that represent each and every one of you. These balloons will fly high, much like you should." The release of the balloons was beautiful. Ally watched as each balloon floated higher and higher until it was nowhere to be seen. The rest of the ceremony basically consisted of various professors talking about Juillard and the classes.

"What do you play?" The girl with wavy blond hair and deep blue eyes next to her asked.

Ally turned to the girl. "Me?" She nodded. "Um, I play the piano, you?"

"I play the violin; my name is Claire Joy, nice to meet you." She was petit and looked a little younger than Ally, she also had what looked like a violin case on her lap.

"I'm Ally Dawson; it's nice to meet you too."

"No way, Ally Dawson?" Claire nearly dropped her violin and Ally nodded. "You're Austin Moon's songwriter and not to mention girlfriend!"

Ally turned a bright shade of red and fiddled with her hair. "Uh, yeah, I guess."

"I'm a huge fan, I think you're amazing!"

Ally's eyes went wide. "Me? You're a huge fan of me? Why?"

"I mean, Austin is an amazing singer, I think he's great. But you, you're the one who writes the songs and I think that's totally cool!" Claire's eyes were sparkling.

Ally was speechless; she's never met someone who was more of a fan of her than Austin. "Thank you, that's so sweet."

Ally and Claire talked for a while. She definitely was a sweet girl; she was a year younger than Ally, having skipped a grade in high school. They talked about everything, from their interests and hobbies to their family and friends. Claire was from Manhattan and so her family wasn't too far. She's half French from her mother's side and is an only child. She has been playing the violin for as long as she could remember. Overall, Claire was a happy and spirited young girl and Ally knew she could get along with her. Claire's room was also just across Ally's so they could easily see each other. After the welcoming ceremony ended they decided to have dinner together.

They talked some more during dinner, sharing stories about their lives. Claire was particularly interested about Ally and Austin's relationship. Ally talked about how they met and how they got together. She doesn't usually like talking about something as personal as this, but there was something about Claire, Ally knew she could trust her. Maybe it was the fact the Claire looked genuinely interested about Ally's life, she didn't look like someone that would sell the story to a celebrity tabloid. She listened like a child listening to a fairy tale. Claire truly thought that Ally's story was the most romantic thing she's ever heard. After dinner they headed to their respected rooms for some rest. Orientation starts early in the morning on the next day and they didn't want to be late. They said their goodnights and went to their rooms.

Ally changed into some comfy pajamas and freshened up for bed. She was beat, today has been one of the most tiring days ever. Well, apart from when paparazzi surrounded Sonic Boom and they got kept in the practice room for hours because the news that Austin and her were dating just got out. Remembering that made Ally just a little sad and teary, it was the beginning of their relationship and it was already rocky. And now another obstacle is thrown at them, and it's called distance. Ally sighed as she hopped on her bed and took out her phone. She wiped away her tears and called Austin. As usual, Austin immediately picked up.

"Hey Ally, heading to bed?"

"Yeah, today was so tiring. I feel like sleeping for the next week."

Austin chuckled. "But then you'll miss out on all the fun things that you get to do." Austin could hear Ally's exhaustion, and there was also a hint of sadness in her voice. It pained Austin that Ally sounded so down, she was supposed to be doing something she loved and yet she seemed so unhappy. "Ally, are you happy to be there?"

* * *

**Uh-oh, trouble already? Are you happy, Ally?**

**Tell me what you think?**

**I'm also working on Summer & Romance so I'll probably alternate between the two with the updating. And again, with classes back on it probably won't be as frequent. But I shall try my best! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm so sad that I haven't updated this in such a long time... But to make up for the time it took, this chapter is relatively longer than my usual. Thanks for waiting, here's chapter two!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally.**

* * *

"Ally, are you happy there?"

Austin's question struck Ally hard like a lightning bolt. She didn't really know what or how to answer his question. She was supposed to be happy right? It has always been her dream to go to music school. And now that she's here, why does she feel so much pain and sadness? Something that was supposed to make her happy was instead making her feel horrible. As much as she hated to admit it, right here and now, she felt like she wanted to abandon that dream.

"No. I miss you Austin, I don't want to be here. I want to be with you and Trish and Dez." She started to sob slowly.

"Ally…" Austin couldn't stand hearing Ally cry and not be able to go and hug her tight, to comfort her. "Please don't cry. I want to be with you as much as you want to be with us. But do you really want to sacrifice something so amazing. Do you really want to sacrifice your dream?"

"You're my new dream Austin," Ally said, barely audible, "I love you."

Austin was speechless, this time he felt like crying. "I love you too Ally, so much." His lips trembled but he managed to stay calm. He had to be strong for Ally, he couldn't cry. "Look Ally, you've only been there for a day. Please give it a chance, for me?"

Ally hesitated but agreed. "Okay, for you Austin."

"That's my girl." Austin smiled to himself. "It's getting late; you have an early start tomorrow. Get some rest and please rethink things. I'll talk to you again soon. I love you."

"I love you too." Ally wiped her tears and forced a smile.

Although reluctant, they both hung up at the same time. Austin put his phone on his night stand and fell on his bed. He sighed and looked to the ceiling. Austin kept thinking about what Ally said. The fact that she said that he was her dream made him really happy. But the fact that it meant that she wanted to give up her music school dream made him feel sad, and not to mention guilty. There has to be a way to persuade Ally to stay. As much as he wanted to be with her, he wasn't going to let her give up her dream for him. I mean, he was living his dream thanks to her. Austin picked up his phone again and quickly texted Dez and Trish.

**Urgent Team Austin meeting tomorrow, 10 a.m., at the practice room.**

He sent the text and tossed his phone next to him on the bed. Austin had a lot of things on his mind with the tour so close too. He just couldn't wait until it stops on New York and see Ally. But right now he had to make sure Ally stayed in New York.

* * *

The next morning, before the Team Austin meeting, Austin was working his shift at Sonic Boom. Mr. Dawson didn't really trust anyone else to work at the store, so it was decided that when Team Austin wasn't on tour they would take turns working at the store. Although, working at Sonic Boom was really hard for Austin, it was a constant reminder that Ally was gone. He checked his watch and assumed that Ally would probably be getting ready for orientation. Austin took out his phone and quickly sent her a text giving her a 'good luck' and an 'I love you'. He then looked to the drums as nostalgia started to flood in. The first time he had met Ally were at those drums. At that time he didn't think that he'd fall in love with the bubbly brunette. But fate has a funny way of working out. By 9:30 a.m., Mr. Dawson took over and Austin headed up to the practice room. He sat on the piano bench and stared at the keys. He looked to the empty space on the bench next to him and sighed. Boy did he miss Ally like crazy. There were so many memories of him and Ally on this piano. He first heard her play 'Double Take' here. They would stay on this piano for hours and write songs. Sometimes they would fall asleep together on the keys. He touched the keys but didn't press them. Playing this piano was never going to be the same without Ally. Suddenly, his phone buzzed, it was a reply from Ally.

**Thank you. I love you too Austin. xxx 3**

He smiled and closed his eyes. He wondered how she was doing, what she was doing, if she properly ate, or had a good night's sleep. Austin constantly worried about Ally. His thinking was cut short by the sound of Dez and Trish entering the room.

Austin stood up and walked to his friends. "Okay guys, let's start the meeting."

"Wait, Ally isn't here yet." Dez said subconsciously, his words cutting through Austin like a samurai sword.

Trish sighed and patted Austin on the back trying to comfort him. "Dez… Ally's in New York remember?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot." Dez looked to the ground. There was a sad atmosphere lingering through the air in the practice room. The room suddenly grew quite, neither of them speaking in fear that they might bring something sad up about their absent songwriter.

Austin cleared his throat and broke the silence. "Anyways, that's actually the reason I called for this meeting, Ally."

"What about Ally? Is she okay?" Trish asked, her voice full of concern for her best friend.

"I talked to her again last night and she sounded miserable. She really misses us and hates being alone…" Austin trailed off; the thought of last night's conversation crushed his heart. "She's thinking about leaving Juilliard."

"What?!" Trish and Dez said in unison as their mouths hung open.

"We have to convince her otherwise! She can't throw away her dream!" Trish said frantically.

"What can we do? We can't all move to New York." Dez scratched his chin. "I know, we could make robot clones of ourselves! Or we could create a teleportation device that lets us be in two places at the same time! Or w—" Before Dez could say anymore, Trish hit him with a pillow.

"I think I have a better idea." Trish quickly left the practice room. Austin and Dez looked at each other then followed Trish.

"Why are we in your dusty old attic?" Austin said while swatting away cobwebs.

Trish was rummaging through boxes. "I'm looking for something. Wait… Found it!" She took out a video tape and ran downstairs.

"I can't keep up with her sometimes. Besides, my robot idea was genius." Dez said as he and Austin followed Trish downstairs.

Trish popped the tape into the VCR and pressed play. "Great, it still works." She then fast forwarded to a young girl sitting in front of a piano. She had shoulder length brown hair and deep brown eyes.

Austin's eyes were immediately glued on the TV. "Ally…"

Trish took a seat on her sofa. "That's right. This was Ally during third grade."

The young Ally in the video looked so happy and excited. _'Look Trish, watch me play!'_ She exclaimed as she started playing a beautiful original piece. There was so much passion in the way she played, and she was only eight years old. Austin and Dez watched in awe as Trish held back tears, feeling nostalgic. After a few minutes Ally finished playing and bowed with the Trish in the video clapping.

'_That was great Ally!'_

Ally walked over to Trish and gave her a hug. _'Thanks Trish! When I grow up I'm going to perform my songs in front of millions of people! That's my dream!'_

'_Are you sure about that? Millions is a lot of people.'_

'_Yes, because I'm going to work hard and go to music school. Make sure I make this dream come true Trish.'_

Trish took Ally's hands and held them in hers. _'I'm your best friend Ally, of course I will!'_

'_Best friends forever.'_ Ally smiled at Trish.

'_And ever.'_

The video ended and Trish was in tears. She missed her best friend dearly and that video made her miss Ally even more. Austin was speechless, not only was Ally so adorable as a child, but that video truly showed how talented she was and how much she really feels about her dream. Seeing the video made Austin more determined than ever to help Ally with her dream.

"Okay guys," Austin said as he took the tape out of the VCR, "we need to show this video to Ally. Tonight we're going to have a video chat with her."

* * *

Ally woke up a little grumpy because he didn't get much sleep last night. All she remembers was crying herself to sleep. It was understandable seeing as it was her first night alone. Ally has always been a morning person, so the fact the she was being so cranky in the morning and waking up only an hour before orientation really showed how much being apart from her friends affected her. She dragged herself to the bathroom to get ready. It took her quite some time, mostly because she was not in the mood for it. Just as she was brushing her teeth, her phone buzzed. She checked it and saw a text from Austin.

**Good luck and have fun today. I love you! :)**

Ally's mood was immediately lifted. A simple text from Austin really cheered her up. She replied with a 'thank you' and 'I love you too' and went back to getting ready, this time with a more happy and positive attitude. After forty-five minutes, she emerged from the bathroom all dressed and ready. She grabbed some toast and packed her purse, making sure to put in her songbook. She took a deep breath, looked to the pictures of Austin, Trish and Dez on her nightstand and left her room. Just as she opened her door, Claire also opened hers.

"Good morning Ally. Are you heading downstairs?" Ally smiled and nodded at the cheerful Claire. Compared to Ally, Claire looked like she was glowing. I guess a good night's sleep really does make a difference. "Great! Let's go together." Claire smiled as she walked next to Ally and they headed for the elevators.

Once they reached the lobby, it was more crowded than ever. They maneuvered their way through the hordes of students and checked the bulletin board to see what group they were in. For day one of the orientation, they would be divided into different groups for a tour of the campus.

"Yay! We're in the same group Ally!" Claire cheered.

Ally sighed with relief; at least there was someone she knew. As soon as they found their groups, they headed outside. Ally and Claire gathered along with others from their group as a senior gave them their name tags. One group consisted of different kinds of musicians. While waiting for the tour to begin, a tall boy with dark brown hair approached Ally and Claire.

"Ally Dawson?"

Ally turned to the boy. "Yes?"

"My name's Toby Stevens, nice to meet you." Toby offered his hand and Ally shook it.

"Nice to meet you too. But, how do you know who I am?"

"You're one of the best students accepted into the piano program. I've seen your audition tape." He smiled and pointed to Ally's chest. "Plus, I can read your name tag."

"Really? One of the best?" Ally stared at him shocked.

"Yeah, I'm in the same program. I've been playing the piano all my life." He sounded smug, but not a bad smug, more of a confident smug. "I'm looking forward to getting to know you Ally."

"He just met you and he's acting like you guys are already close friends." Claire whispered, although not very well, seeing as Toby heard her.

"And who are you, little Miss?"

"Me?" Claire raised her eyebrow sounding offended at being called 'little'. "I'm not that little and my name is Claire Joy, I'm a violinist."

"Ah, violin, such a graceful instrument, suitable for a graceful young lady." Toby smiled charmingly at Claire.

Claire blushed at the compliment. "Oh, thank you." Then she whispered to Ally. "He's good, the smooth talker type, watch out for him."

Ally giggled at how paranoid Claire was being. Soon, it was time to get the tour starts. Ally grabbed Claire by the hand and followed the group. "Let's go."

During the tour, they saw the many buildings of Juilliard, such as concert halls and theatres. Apart from buildings, there also were spots where students just hang out. It was a large campus. In the middle of the tour, they passed a bunch of students from the drama department shooting a scene. There was an eccentric looking director that reminded Ally of Dez. Ally sighed remembering the times when Dez would me her, Austin and Trish star in his movies. It was a lot of fun; it definitely helped Ally deal with her stage fright. They walked some more until they reached the dining hall. It was like a mall food court, there were small stands selling all kinds of food and beverages. Ally thought of Trish and how she probably would be hired and then fired from these stands in a matter of days. After passing the dining hall, the tour passed a park where students enjoyed practicing. There were many people with different kinds of instruments playing some beautiful music. Ally was amazed at how elegant it all sounded. Suddenly, Ally sees a corndog stand and smiles. She remembers the first time she saw Austin, a silly blond boy drumming with corndogs, a boy that she would eventually fall in love with. There were so many things that reminded her of her friends. Ally nearly cried, her eyes already starting to water. But she quickly rubbed it off and continued to walk.

"Hey Ally, wait up." Toby walked up to Ally. "So, since we're in the same program and we probably will see a lot of each other, why don't you tell me about yourself?"

She tucked some strands of hair behind her ear then looked at Toby. "Well, I'm from Miami. I'm eighteen. I play the piano."

"That's a pretty normal introduction." Toby chuckled.

"That's me, I'm normal."

"You don't seem normal to me." He smiled at Ally. "Any boyfriends?"

Before Ally could answer, Claire got between Ally and Toby and butted in on their conversation. "Yes, Austin Moon. The, Austin Moon."

"Never heard of him."

Claire gasped, a little but exaggerated maybe. "You've never heard of Austin Moon!? Where have you been living? In a cardboard box!?" Claire sounded truly shocked that Toby has never heard of Austin. "He's like one of the most famous rock stars out there, and Ally here is his songwriter and girlfriend."

Toby raised his eyebrows at Claire. "I only listen to classical music."

Claire crossed her arms and huffed. "Figures."

He then turned to Ally. "Well, I'm from L.A, also eighteen and I also play the piano."

Ally crossed her arms and stared at Toby. "Are you making fun of me?"

He chuckled at the way Ally was looking at him. "No, just giving you a normal introduction."

"Sounds like he's making fun of you Ally." Claire added.

"I'm just teasing you." Toby chuckled; he's seemed like the kind of guy that jokes around. "I really am looking forward to working with you Ally. Maybe we can even teach each other a thing or two."

Ally nodded and smiled. "Yeah, sounds good."

The campus tour went until a little over noon. After the tour they had a lunch break and then piled into the theatre where they heard some professors talk. It was pretty boring compared to the tour though. Ally preferred taking a walk outside in the fresh air rather than being cooped up in a crowded room listening to people talk. She couldn't wait until it was over. During the presentation, Ally's phone vibrated, she checked it and saw a text from Trish.

**Skype tonight at 8:30, with the boys too. See you there! :D**

Ally smiled, now she definitely couldn't wait until the orientation was over. The presentations went until a little before dinner time. They left the theatre and everyone went their separate ways.

"I'll see you around Ally, you too Claire."

"Bye Toby." Ally waved at Toby and turned to Claire. "He seems like a nice guy."

"He's okay I guess." Claire scrunched her nose, still not letting go of the fact that he called her 'little'. "Well, let's grab some dinner, I'm starving."

Ally giggled, Claire ate a lot for someone of her stature. "Sure."

* * *

After dinner, Ally was beat and immediately headed back to her room whilst Claire stayed to mingle with the other students. Once she got to her room, she instantly kicked off her shoes and lay on her bed. She checked her watch and saw that it was 8 p.m., only half an hour left until her Skype date with her friends. She lazily got off her bed to get ready. Ally took a nice warm shower and changed into some pajama pants and a sweater. She turned on her laptop and logged onto Skype where her friends were waiting for her.

"Hi everyone, I miss you guys so much!" At the sight of her friends, Ally couldn't contain her happiness.

Austin noticed Ally's joy and chuckled at her cuteness. "Hi Ally, how was your day?"

"It was okay, I guess, I met some new people, saw the entire campus, heard some professors talk." Ally's smiled faded. "But it's still not the same without you guys."

"Well, we have something to show you." Trish winked and pressed play.

"Really, what is it?" Ally asked.

The video plays and Ally couldn't believe what she was seeing. She immediately remembered that point in time and the song she played. It had been one of her best original songs and she wrote it when she was only eight years old. Throughout the video, tears ran down Ally's cheek as she started crying.

"Trish…" Ally's eyes were red and puffy.

All Trish could think about was how much she wished she could give Ally a hug right now. "I'm just keeping my promise Ally. Please don't give up."

"We're your biggest fans Ally, and we really want to see you live your dream." Dez said as he grinned and gave Ally a thumbs up.

"You know you can have more than one dream. So," Austin smiled at Ally, "say you'll stay in Juilliard?"

* * *

**Will Ally stay in Juilliard?**

**Did you get the R5 reference? Austin saying 'say you'll stay' which is an R5 song. Hahaha, I just had to put it in there. :P**


End file.
